An old house, a secret staircase, and a hidden time-tunnel. A thrilling time-travel adventure for readers aged 8–12. An old hotel in a sleepy seaside town holds a secret—a hidden staircase that opens a gateway to a tumultuous past. When twelve-year-old Jay and his younger sister Poppy visit their eccentric grandmother in Russell, they'd rather be anywhere else. But strange sounds only they can hear—mysterious voices, fireworks, or is it gunfire?—make them question their surroundings. One night, they spot two men burying treasure in a garden long overgrown by trees. The mystery deepens as the siblings step into the world of Kororāreka in 1845, a town teetering on the edge of conflict. Caught in a momentous historical event, Jay and Poppy must navigate a dangerous past, where tensions rise and loyalties are tested. A modern children's classic from award-winning historical fiction author J L Williams. If you enjoy Lucy M. Boston's Green Knowe series or The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis, you won't be able to put down this gripping time-travel mystery. The Secret Staircase delves into themes of colonization and culture with sensitivity and heart, launching readers on an unforgettable adventure. Can Jay and Poppy trust their new-found friends, find the treasure, and return to the present before it's too late?